Metaphysical Beliefs » Society & Lifestyle

Indian culture explained

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:35:46 +0000

Diwali – Nights Of Lights.

First impressions hint at a magical kind of night. It’s a night when flickering flames from countless earthenware oil lamps mingle with the steady glow of electric light bulbs. A night when freshly-whitened houses are awash with this lambent light.

It’s Diwali or Deepawali night in India: the Hindu Festival of Light Tonight is a celebration of the beginning of autumn and, in most regions, of the Indian New Year. It’s a time of food, fireworks and family reunions. Symbolising rejuvenation and renewal, the day-long festivities are also a carnival time for children.

Origins

The name Deepawali comes from the Sanskrit language – ‘deep’ meaning light and ‘avali’ meaning a row, ie, a row of lights. Spiritually, Diwali marks the day of the ultimate victory of good over evil, light over darkness.

Some communities, especially in northern India, look upon it as commemorating the triumphant return of Prince Rama, along with Sita and Lakshman, who, while in exile for 14 years, successfully vanquished the demon-king of Lanka, Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, Rama’s capital, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas or oil lamps and let off crackers.

Many Hindus believe that in the period of Rama’s rule, darkness was banished from the world. Thus, the illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is meant as an expression of reverence and thanks to the heavens for all people’s health, wealth and knowledge. The sound of fire-crackers was, and is, an indication of the people’s happiness at living on Earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state.

Another given reason appeals more to the rationalists: the fumes produced by the crackers kill the insects, especially mosquitoes, found inplenty during and after the monsoon season.

East and West

In much of the west of India, Diwali is when old commercial accounts are reconciled and new ones opened. This is partly because of New Year observance but also because it is the special day of Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and the spiritual embodiment of the entrpreneurial spirit.

For the people of the central state of Maharashtra, however, this is a day when meditations on mortality and the metaphysical are on everyone’s mind. To the Marathis, Diwali is an opportunity to appease and deflect the attentions of King Bali, dread and dour lord of the underworld.

Eastern Indians take a different tack again. For them, Diwali is a far more convivial affair, celebrating the black-faced god, Kali. Here, it is seen as a night to rejoice with this fierce and vibrant spirit of female energy and primal strength in her celebration of life’s cycles of creation and destruction.

The Story of Each Day

The Diwali festival runs for four days. Each day of Diwali has its own tale to tell.

The first day of the festival, called Naraka Chaturdasi, marks the defeat of demon Naraka by Krishna and his wife Satyabhama.The second day, Amavasya, is the day of worship for followers of Lakshmi. Amavasya also tells the story of Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell.

Bali returns once a year on the third day, Kartika Shudda Padyami, to light millions of lamps, dispelling darkness and ignorance and spreading the radiance of love and wisdom. This could be called

Diwali Day ‘proper’.The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya or Bhai Dooj; today, sisters will invite their brothers to their homes.

In India, such a busy time of year as Diwali and the day following are, naturally public holidays.

Why we grow out of believing in magic – Part 1

admin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:09:38 +0000

Magic. What is IT? Is it a puff of smoke and some glitter? Is it a genius contraption set of mirrors, fire and swords? Yes. Well. Only to those in the “professional” charlatan business. Don’t misunderstand me – People like Paul Daniels, David Blaine and other magicians are (generally) very talented, but thats not Magic. Not in the TRUE sense of the Word.

Before I continue, let me give this witch’s (le gasp!) definition of Magic.

Magic is the most pure, mysterious energy on this earth, and all of the realms around. Magic is not bright lights, and rabbits out of hats. It’s energy. Not Evil. Neutral, to be shaped by the caster (in this case a witch) to work as an extension of their will, to inhibit physical change within and through a metaphysical medium.

Enough of the science of witchcraft. Lets now turn to the main debate. “Why we grow out of believing in magic”. Are we? Will we ever? I, for one, hope not. Consider this, the very first time you sat under the stars, and the Moon, and just… Stopped. When you listened to all that was around you, and the very earth seemed to stand still, just so you could spend eternity, staring up into that celestial mass of Magic. Yes. That was Magic. The very feeling of falling upwards, that tingling, and the sense of being very small in the grand scheme of things. THAT was magic.

The very fact we are living, and breathing, is that not Magic? Scientists call it Biology. It is! But it all stemmed from Magic! Chemistry.. Three guesses which magical practise that stemmed from. You wanna clue… Lets put Harry Potter famed Nicholas Flamel into the spotlight. Okay… Philosopher’s Stone… Lead to Gold… Did you guess right? Alchemy, was the answer. (In case you didn’t know, Nicholas Flamel was a real alchemist … see www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichola s_Flamel)

Magic is all around, as I mentioned earlier, just left unnoticed. In the hustle and bustle of everyday lives, we are blinded by vehicular exhaust fumes, pollution and stress. No longer do we concern ourselves with the Earth which gives us life, but rather what is on telly, or what we are going to microwave the life out of when we get home before we curl up in a ball and sleep and or drink the days worries away. But It is still there, waiting for us to pay attention again, in the breeze, the falling of blossom from the trees in spring, the rainbow which stands out against the dreary gloom, its waiting for those who have turned their backs, and started to walk away, to glance over their shoulder, and just glimpse what they are missing.

Many of us are Losing the Belief in what used to rule our lives, but it is far from gone – In fact, while belief may no longer be as evident… It’s just like the Magic itself. Hidden, waiting to be awakened and rediscovered, and ready to blossom like the flowers in summer.

Belief is there… Just Hidden, but who can read the Hearts of Men.. Except the Men themselves…

This Witch, believes firmly, that magic Exists… and that You believe too…

Myths about the Freemasons – Part 1

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 07:25:53 +0000

The Freemasons are a fraternal organisation which rose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. There is now an estimated membership of around 5 million and it exists in various forms all over the world. These forms all share ideas which are moral and metaphysical.. These include, in most cases, a legal declaration of belief in a Supreme Being.

There are a number of myths surrounding The Freemasons.

The lodge Goat

It is often perpetrated by the Masons themselves that they ride a goat into their lodges. This is however, a joke played on nervous initiates.

The goat has been a symbol of the devil since at least the Middle Ages. Stories circulated around this time that witches called forth Satan and he came riding into town on a goat in order to take part in blasphemous orgies with them. Detractors accused the Freemasons of witchcraft as they became more popular. This is probably where the story of initiates riding goats comes from.

The fact that some early ritual books from the fraternity made reference to God as “God of All Things” and abbreviated it to G.O.A.T. would not have helped of course. This was changed to God being called “Grand Architect of the Universe” – G.A.O.T.U.

The Masonic Bible

The Freemasons have been accused of using their own bible in their ceremonies and this is presumably a Satanic bible.

This myth is in two parts. In predominately Christian communities, there is a custom within lodges that they present the new Master Mason with a commemorative heirloom Bible. The 1611 translation of the King James version which was published especially for Masonic lodges by Heirloom Bible Publishers of Wichita , Kansas was the most popular of these Bibles in the United States. The Mason has an area in the front of his Bible to commemorate important dates in his degree work. There is also a place for his brethren to sign the record of his degrees. There is also a 94-page glossary of biblical references which relate to Masonic ceremonies as well as essays on Masonry and some common questions and answers. The rest of the Bible is the complete King James version of the Old and New Testament which is available to be bought in any bookstore.

The use of the Volume of Scared Law in a Masonic lodge is where the second part of this myth come from. A book which is considered scared to the members should be open on the lodge altar during meetings in all regular, well-governed lodges. This sacred book

How society would be different if Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was still alive

admin — Wed, 12 May 2010 11:08:48 +0000

The assassination of certain key figures in history has served as a wake-up call to society. The world was not entirely ready to assimilate the higher ideals of mentors such as Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi, Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Had we been ready to implement what they stood for without the shock of their deaths, would some higher power have spared these great leaders’ lives? We may not ever know, but one thing is certain: humanity, as a whole, needed a wake-up call each time we lost one of them.

Whether or not they led impeccably saintly lives, they all stood and still stand for something great: civil rights, nonviolence, peace, etc. It seems that their untimely, tragic deaths contributed to the spreading and assimilation of what they stood for. This is a pity – why couldn’t society embrace their lofty ideals on the same scale without their reaching the status of martyrdom first? Why did society need such a wake-up call?

What if these luminaries still walked amongst us, alive and well? Of course they still are with us – in spirit. But what if they were available to make public appearances, answer phone calls and letters, shake hands and take pleasure in seeing the fruits of their labor and mentorship up close? What if they were present with us to celebrate the achievements and great advances society has made as a result of their influence? Would we forget the reason we honor them in the first place?

Imagine Martin Luther King visiting our schools, guest-speaking at Universities, teleconferencing with world leaders … perhaps running for political office himself. It’s a nice thought, but if he hadn’t been assassinated, would we pay close enough attention, or would we listen with half an ear?

Some say that we cannot change the past. I beg to differ. It’s been a popular science fiction theme – someone traveling back in time and preventing the J.F.K. or Lincoln assassination. If one could really prevent Martin Luther King’s assassination in such a way, would we be ready for the outcome? That is the important question. Are we ready, or is society too immature to hold his mentorship in sufficiently high esteem without first being subjected to the harsh wake-up call of his assassination?

To borrow a concept of theoretical science, what if in some alternate dimension or universe, Dr. King may indeed be walking amongst us, living the “dream” that he so eloquently shared with us – mingling with the reality of how far we’ve come as a result of sharing in his dream? Perhaps we’re not yet ready to let go of his tragic death, and yet keep his dream alive. Perhaps if we were ready, the tragic past would undo itself … if we believe hard enough.

The past no longer exists … all we have is the present at any given time. Wrong! The past “does” exist in our minds and hearts. It has a metaphysical presence; you might even say that the historical past is a type of dream that found its way into the memory banks of our culture. What if we could dream a better past – one where Dr. King didn’t have to die? Whether or not it would bring Dr. King back in the flesh may not count nearly as much in the greater scheme of things, as whether we’d be ready for him if he did. If we dreamed ourselves back in time as a better “people,” more ripe for his message, more responsible with our brethren across racial lines, ready to embrace the civil rights that he promoted to the same extent that we do at present – maybe then we’d be ready to shake his hand today.

How ready we are would determine what society would be like if Dr. Martin Luther King was still alive today.

Myths about the Freemasons

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:47:49 +0000

Its symbols are unmistakable: a distinctive square and compasses used by stonemasons. Freemasonry is a fraternal organization whose exact origin is unknown or at least obscure.

The order exists in various forms around the world, and its members number about 5 million. They share various moral and metaphysical beliefs. The link to stonemasons’ tools is often said to tie to an allegory about building King Solomon’s temple.

According to www.co-masonry.org, American Masonry distinguishes itself from other groups of Masons be admitting women in equal status with men versus admitting only male members. This site states that Freemasonry includes men and women of every race, religion and nationality.

However, Roman Catholics are taught that those who become Masons are in a state of grave, or mortal, sin and as such, are not supposed to partake of the Church’s sacraments.

A number of myths surround Freemasonry, according to www.freemasonhall.com. The site suggests that Masons teach lessons through the use of symbols and allegorical plays, some of which are based on myths. It states that one of the popular myths is that all of George Washington’s generals during the Revolutionary War were Freemasons. The site states that 33, not all, of his generals were Masons, and membership in the fraternity was not a requirement to serve under Washington.

A related myth is that the governors of the original 13 states were members of Freemasonry. According to freemasonhall.com, from the battle of Lexington to Washington’s inauguration as America’s first President, 10 of the 30 men who served as governors were Masons.

Another myth from the same period in history is that all signers of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were members. However, only 9 or the 56 who signed the earlier document were indeed members. Thirteen of the 39 who signed the Constitution were Masons.

Flash forward to the 20th century for another myth. This one claims that the symbol on the back of a dollar bill is a Masonic “All Seeing Eye” floating over an unfinished pyramid. In fact, the image of the eye in the triangle is part of the Great Seal of the United States designed by four men in 1776. Of the four, only Benjamin Franklin, was a Mason.

This image, freemasonhall.com suggests, was frequently used during the Renaissance, and well before the beginnings of Freemasonry, as a symbol of God. The designers of the Great Seal were said to select that image to float over an unfinished pyramid to symbolize God looking out over the new nation. The 13 rows of stones symbolized the original 13 American colonies.

The site further states that on occasion, the Masons themselves keep these myths going as a joke on new members. One of the more popular ones says that initiates have to ride a goat into the Masonic Hall to become members. Legend treats the goat as symbolic of the devil, and witches were said to ride the animals into town. Speculation is that this myth was probably responsible for some of the accusations of the Masons practicing witchcraft.

The use of objective consciousness in commercial society

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:37:19 +0000

The Business of Consciousness”Each day I begin a new”. In this mantra I find confidence, for every waking moment presents a valuable potential.Recycled thought patterns govern our respective lives acting as intense learning curves. True self-responsibility lies with the ability to move on from outdated belief structures. Our founding fathers accomplished this along with several infamous revolutionaries; proving that these cycles of metaphysical death and rebirth celebrated an intimate connection between the evolution and revolution of mind.The sun being highly associated with this state of being, is considered the crux of archaic beliefs. Its actions in the sky each day are defined by ancient contexts to be congruent with modern ideals of redemption and resurrection.

Some formula of faith will resonate even as one separates from the nefarious governing forces as labels become unnecessary. No man is an island unto himself but the objective world can only be perceived through that man’s eyes. Being aware of this allows for much open interpretation of any God and dogmatic structure.Nevertheless, each night my eyes close to accept darkness leaving consciousness in waiting of light and life with the coming morning. Objective reality fades to black and falls under subconscious rule. Being aware but no longer conscious; wants and desires manifest in the dream world. Their waking translation, though conceived by a higher self, is not derived with ease. How can any reasonable being know subjective perception as a so called “reality”? An impossibility, but they may lay claim to a sphere of influence conditional upon an agreed understanding; usually secured within many layers of the persona. Evidently, these facades play out in a geo-political arena through the signing of trade agreements, treaties, contracts, etc. However, informed consent is a rare commodity so, much trickery is involved during the establishment of governments and corporations.

Hence the existence of an interweaving industrial “matrix” of law and equity where compelled consent under uninformed duress is transformed to stock sold on an open market.Under the Uniform Commercial Code and Common Law: when people are not given notice to OR do not claim the right of consent, then a reserved freedom has been lost.From then on out, a slippery slope is created and perpetuated in ignorance while supported by complacency. Spirituality cannot be hindered by speculative monetary valuation, because the path to knowing yourself is a priceless journey. Therefore the ability to know yourself is considered to be an integral part of your resume…organize it carefully.

Why you should plan your own funeral

admin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:21:10 +0000

There are many reasons why one should plan their own funeral, some of which include having a metaphysical sense of humor.

After all, besides being born and that icky stuff in between called life, a funeral is your literal going away party.

Instead of being callous and sad at the thought of your own demise, settle into the notion and have your funeral prepared the way you think it should be prepared.

Make it a multimedia extravaganza of all the photos, paintings, drawings, rewards, awards, anything that represents you and what you were about.

Have an auction for some of the things you have not willed away.

Have a pie eating contest.

Make sure that everyone dresses how you want them to.

Personally, I think people should dress casually or as either a clown or a mime.

A hint as to who is which can be that the ones not crying are mimes, and the ones not laughing are mimes too.

Make sure people suffer through the music you liked, the images you loved, and make them eat the foods you ate.

If you were a smoker, make them smoke one in memory of you.

If you were a vegetarian, make them eat vegetarian meals.

Make sure you pick a location that you spent some time in. A place where those who loved you affiliate you with.

That is where you should have most of the funeral ceremonies.

Aside from these things, you should seriously have money saved for your burial and a burial site chosen. You should pick out your casket and what attire you would like to be placed in, and you should get all the financial estimates for the costs so that when that time arrives you are ready.

Also, you should have a will established so that your family and friends do not fight over what you leave behind.

In addition to all of this, make sure that your insurance and other financial issues are all in order. Establish this, and make sure that you keep tabs in where you are, what you have saved, who gets what, and whether or not you and your loved ones will be buried next to each other.

Certainly, some may think I have taken death in jest, but having had a great deal of loved ones already pass on before me, and some at such a young age it staggered my mind, I think that we should exhibit joy and love to the departed as though they were alive, because it was there living presence that captivated us.

So planning how you want people to experience your funeral and having the money saved are the best things to do when planning your own funeral. Leave your mark on the world, let them see you even when you are gone.

Why we make mistakes

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:30:25 +0000

What’s Wrong With Your Writing?

I have just read many of your comments on problems that you have in writing, and most of you cite “writer’s block” or a stopping that you can’t control when you are in the midst of a story or essay.

After a generation of writing in most genres, I think the clue to and end to your problems

is two-fold: First, set a goal of, say, a thousand words a week. And DO it!

Second, relax, assume that you have in your mind all you need to successfully complete your idea, and hit that keyboard.

There are a few suggestions within each type or kind of writing:

FICTION

Get your entire story completely located in your mind, jotting down sequences until you mentally have the whole affair clear. Then with that outline by you, get into the story on your computer, adding depth and mystery and whatever you wish to use to embellish until you have finished the story. Review it. Correct it. When you feel an exultant satisfaction that it is DONE, print it out and read and recheck the paper copy. This routine applies to short pieces and longer novels as well.

IN-DEPTH SERIOUS ARTICLES

Example: Why do our government representatives betray us?

In this type of writing, the great pitfall is allowing our emotions to surpass fact. We MUST research every statement we make, and not let our heated opinions destroy what might be an helpful essay. The best way to attain that is to remember the old newspaperman rules as told in journalism school: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and HOW, and in that order.

SCIENTIFIC WRITING (Including how-to manuals)

Here your rule of research MUST be strictly adhered to..not only must your sources be excellent and approved and accepted by the agencies you are addressing, but your figures and facts should be rechecked several times. Here you may also call upon experts in your picked field to check out your writing.

WRITING FOR TV NEWS AND NEWSPAPERS

ALL of the above apply here and at the same time, you must enter into the bugaboo of brevity. Papers and TV stations are limited greatly in what they offer you as space. And that TV anchorman or commentator who reads your words may need a more dramatic approach to your story that the newspaper’s dry presentation.

WRITING POETRY AND MUSIC SCORES

Poetry is not really written if it is to be REAL poetry. It is INSPIRED, and comes to the brain and hopefully is translated into a MUST of your own words. It cannot be defined as a skill except to always remember that alliteration is important, the SOUNDS of your words are doubly important, and SPARSE adjectival use is essential.

MUSIC, that is the words that accompany music, is probably the most difficult kind of poetry, for it must not only BE poetry, it must align itself with the already created musical presence.

In some cases, the reverse is true and the poetry can inspire the musician to make the music.

Best of all, of course, is the creative person who does both, the words and the music.

OTHER WRITING

There are other specializations in writing but the above apply very well to them…religious writing, metaphysical essays, descriptions of other arts, sales persuasions, etc.

But mistakes in writing can be almost totally avoided by developing a writing pattern from the above, that learned not only in journalism school but also in many many years of writing for newspapers, novels, movies, and best of all, occasional visits from the poetic muse.

Fantasy facts about werewolves

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:30:08 +0000

As it says on my bio, I am attempting to write a series of novels with a werewolf for a main character. For this I needed to do a lot of research on the subject for world-building and to make my stories seem halfway believable. I decided to not let all that time spent trailing over the internet and through books on mythology and fiction it was harder than it sounds. A man changing into a wolf is physically impossible, but not metaphysically. So, I am going to share some of my findings with you, so I don’t have to remember it all.

There are many scientific theories to explain away werewolf phenomenon, from ergot poisoning (from a parasitic fungus that grows on wheat), to clinical lycanthropy, which is a psychological disorder where the person thinks they are a wolf, and act accordingly; these people can be a danger to everyone around them. Religion and superstition have done their part to fuel the werewolf legend, and Christianity especially has done its best in the past to portray werewolves as evil creatures. Wolves were preached to be the helpers of Satan, and He was supposed to approach wayward travellers as a man on a black horse, and made them swear allegiance to him. Then he would give them a potion and a belt of wolf-skin so they could transform into wolves, generally on the full moon, and they went prowling through the local countryside preying on innocents.

Before Christianity, however, legends about wolves and werewolves were far more revering. Ancient cultures marvelled at the wolf for its cunning and ferocity, much like Native Americans taught that wolf was a teacher. Everybody knows the story of Romulus and Remus and how they were suckled by a she-wolf; Romans viewed she-wolves as symbols of fertility as well as cunning protectors. In Greek stories, King Lycaeon was turned into a wolf by Zeus for serving him human flesh. Zeus also turned the mother of Artemis and Apollo into a wolf to hide her from Hera; Artemis was the virgin goddess of the moon and was associated with wolves. In Norse culture, Berserkers were fearsome warriors who took on the behaviour and sometimes appearance of wolves or bears in battle; Odin kept two wolves by his side, and the great wolf Fenris (or Fenrir) was chained in a dungeon until he could break loose and gobble up the sun at the end of time.

Ways to become a werewolf ranged from rubbing a magic salve into the skin, being cursed, being born to it, to Hollywood’s favourite, being bitten. In the novel ‘Darker Than You Think’ by Jack Williamson, the theory is put forward that werewolves had evolved as a separate species, homo lycanthropus (I got annoyed at this point, because in the novel, homo lycanthropus could take the ethereal form of any animal, not just a wolf, so strictly that’s therianthropy), that died out at the end of the ice age, surviving by interbreeding with homo sapiens. I recommend reading it if you’re interested in the subject.

Hollywood werewolves are different entirely. Legends have been combined and exaggerated so werewolves are now seen as unthinking beasts that can only be killed by silver bullets. Which is far from the truth if only you scratch beneath the surface.

Behind the name: Andrew

admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:44:52 +0000

ETYMOLOGY: The most traditionally accepted meaning of the name Andrew is ’strong’.

ORIGIN & HISTORY: The name Andrew is derived from the Greek ‘Andreas’ which means strong, manly and courageous. It is generally thought of as a Christian name, being one that appears in The New Testament of The Bible.

POPULARITY: In the 1990s, the name Andrew was among the top ten most popular names for baby boys in English speaking countries, and the third most popular in the 1970s. Being the eleventh most popular name in America in 2005, it grew in popularity and reached number ten in 2006. Before the 1960s, Andrew was not nearly as popular as it is today.

FASCINATING FACTS: Andrew Jackson is the only U.S. president not to be born in America. Hurricane Andrew which hit south Florida in 1992 was a Category 5 that caused more than $26.2 billion worth of property damage, marking it’s place as the costliest storm of the time.

NAMESAKES: While famous men by the name of Andrew are in abundance, with the name’s surge of popularity being reasonably recent, there are no significant namesakes.

FAMOUS PERSONS: Famous figures by the name of Andrew include Saint Andrew, one of the earliest disciples of Jesus and one of the twelve apostles described in The Bible. He was also described as the first apostle called by Jesus. Other, slightly more modern Andrews include Andrew Marvell (March 31, 1621 August 16, 1678), a metaphysical poet to which a statue has been dedicated to in his previous home of Kingston upon Hull and Sir Andrew Wiles, a mathematician born in Cambridge in 1953 and is most famous for proving Fermat’s Last Theorem.

NAME VARIANTS: Andy is the most widely used version of the name, usually accumulated during childhood when parents often add the ‘y’ sound onto the end of words to soften them. Andrea is the closest female name to Andrew.

Metaphysical Beliefs » Society & Lifestyle

Indian culture explained

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